


A Love in Song

by tuliptoes



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: A narrative playlist, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cersei is Cersei Hill, F/M, No Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuliptoes/pseuds/tuliptoes
Summary: A JB narrative playlist.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35
Collections: JB Festive Festival Exchange 2020





	A Love in Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [golden_sword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_sword/gifts).



> golden_sword prompted me:  
> angst with happy ending; book jb; modern au
> 
> Well, two outta three ain't bad. ;)
> 
> Here’s what I’m going to dub a narrative playlist. The songs tell a story, a modern AU with a touch of angst, which is outlined below. However, the songs are more of a vibe than a literal reading, so listen with an open mind.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! The link to the playlist is at the bottom, but if you don’t have Spotify, I’ve also included the list.

Jaime Lannister has been in love with the same woman, his childhood neighbor, Cersei Hill, for 15 years. He’s loved her his whole life, but thanks to an anonymous note left for him, he finds out she’s cheating on him ( _Burn Down The City_ ). She confesses when he confronts her, and he breaks up with her, sending himself into a deep depression ( _Infinitely Late At Night_ ).

On the night before her wedding, Brienne Tarth sees her fiance, Hyle Hunt, making out with another woman, a guest at their wedding that he had insisted on inviting. She spends a long night thinking things over, but decides to ditch him, leaving him a note but skipping town ( _Don’t Know Why_ ) and heading to where they were supposed to go on their honeymoon.

She has her own dark moments once there ( _Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole_ ), but she decides to get out of her head and go clubbing, where she sees Hyle with his new girlfriend ( _Dancing On My Own_ ).

They don’t see her, but Jaime Lannister, who has been dragged out of a drunken stupor to the same club by his brother, does ( _I’ve Just Seen a Face_ ). He approaches her, and Brienne can’t keep her eyes off him ( _I’m Tongue-Tied_ ), and neither of them can let the other out of sight ( _Into My Arms_ ). They spend the night together ( _Tonight You Belong To Me_ ), and in the morning, afraid of what will happen when he sees her in completely, Brienne runs away ( _Angel of the Morning_ ), leaving only her phone number behind.

When he wakes up, Jaime is morose and sulky ( _Loser_ ) but decides that it’s time to take a break from relationships and figure out what he wants from life ( _My Life Is Starting Over Again_ ). Brienne also begins the painful process of untangling her life from Hyle’s, but after her night with Jaime, she knows that leaving him was the right decision, regardless of how painful it was ( _This Year_ ).

Jaime hits the road, and with plenty of time to think, he realizes how much of himself he was giving to Cersei ( _Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks_ ), who did not love him the way he loved her ( _Ooh La La_ ).

Months have past since Brienne called off her wedding, when Hyle shows up at her door, asking for another chance. Brienne realizes that she’s been waiting and longing for Jaime, who hasn’t reached out to her since their night together ( _Caramel_ ), and decides to give Hyle another chance at dating but warns him that she’s changed ( _Playing With My Heart_ ). 

Jaime is on the road once again, but he keeps seeing things that remind him of home and Brienne ( _Homeward Bound_ ), and while on his way back, he’s in an accident that leaves him with a broken arm and leg. He resists his doctor’s advice to reach out to someone to help him get around ( _Hero_ ), but he eventually breaks down and asks Brienne if she'll help him out until he’s better.

Brienne accepts without thinking, and Hyle, furious at her for not consulting him, forbids her to go, and that’s the clue she needs to know that it was never going to work out between the two of them ( _The Sign_ ).

She helps Jaime settle in at home, and tells him that he can always count on her ( _Whenever, Wherever_ ). Brienne is there for Jaime in a way he’s never known; she helps him when needed, but she’s also not afraid to tell him no when he needs to do something for himself. He knows he should let her go, but he can’t say goodbye ( _I’m So Open)_ because he slowly realizes that he’s in love, and he’s been in love with her since their first night together ( _Riptide_ ). 

He tells her how he feels, but he has so many doubts about himself that he isn’t sure he’ll be good enough for her ( _Peace_ ). However, Brienne has also been pining for him, and she tells him that she feels the same and loves him, flaws and all ( _I Don’t Mind_ ).

After months of dating, on Sevenmas, Jaime proposes, and Brienne doesn’t respond. She doesn’t say no, but she tells him she needs time to think. Jaime is upset, but hopeful ( _Christmas TV_ ). 

Brienne spends a long dark night of the soul thinking about Jaime, and how she feels about him. Her old insecurities come back to her ( _Fear_ ), but she realizes that her fear is not as strong as the love she feels for him, and that he is worth the risk of getting her heart broken ( _Fidelity_ ).

She accepts Jaime’s proposal, and they have a small wedding with just a few close friends and the family members they like ( _It’s Only Time_ ). They’re optimistic about their future, because they’ll know they have good times and bad times, but they’ll have each other, and that will be enough to make it through ( _Naturally_ ).

[ **A Love in Song** ](https://open.spotify.com/user/tuliptoes/playlist/4h6YOb7ICZhRor4C05Jfl7?si=irlQ1xeQQY2doUFaq72awA)

  1. Burn Down The City by SG Goodman
  2. Infinitely Late At Night by The Magnetic Fields
  3. Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones
  4. Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole by Martha Wainwright
  5. Dancing On My Own by Robyn
  6. I’ve Just Seen A Face by Jim Sturgess (“Across the Universe” version)
  7. I’m Tongue-Tied by The Magnetic Fields
  8. Into My Arms by Nick Cave (“Idiot Prayer” version)
  9. Tonight You Belong To Me by Jane Monheit
  10. Angel Of The Morning by Juice Newton
  11. Loser by Beck
  12. My Life Is Starting Over by Daniel Johnston
  13. This Year by The Mountain Goats
  14. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks by The National
  15. Ooh La La by The Faces
  16. Caramel by Suzanne Vega
  17. Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel
  18. Playing With My Heart (Acoustic) by Kate Voegele
  19. Hero by Regina Spektor
  20. The Sign by Ace of Base
  21. Whenever, Wherever by Shakira
  22. I’m So Open by The Cowboy Junkies
  23. Riptide by Vance Joy
  24. Peace by Taylor Swift
  25. I Don’t Mind by Joseph
  26. Christmas TV by Slow Club
  27. Fear by Sarah McLachlan (“Mirrorball” version) 
  28. Fidelity by Regina Spektor
  29. It’s Only Time by The Magnetic Fields
  30. Naturally by Lisa Donnelly



**Author's Note:**

> Some fun facts about the songs:
> 
> Tonight You Belong To Me by Jane Monheit - The first version I heard of this song was by The Chipmunks. It’s a song about adultery, song with extra high kiddie voices. Honestly, it’s great, but wow, that makes for a hefty dose of cognitive dissonance.
> 
> My Life Is Starting Over by Daniel Johnston - The first time I heard this song was a cover by a guy I used to work with, and honestly, Edgar’s version is better. But I’ve come around on the official version too.
> 
> Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel - My favorite version of this song is from “The Leftovers.” Justin Theroux isn’t a great singer, but he sings with such conviction, his lack of talent doesn’t matter. 
> 
> Hero by Regina Spektor - Her line “I’m the hero of this story/I don’t need to be saved” is such a Jaime line that I had to include it, even if the rest of the song doesn’t quite fit.
> 
> Riptide by Vance Joy - Did this song make the cut because of the line “I wanna be your left-hand man?” Maybe so. Maybe so.
> 
> It’s Only Time by The Magnetic Fields - My husband and I wrote our own vows, and he took a line from this wedding song (their only wedding song) from my favorite band and slipped it into his vows. Sneaky bastard, he is truly the one for me. (All of the Magnetic Fields’ songs on this playlist are from their criminally underrated album ‘i’.)
> 
> Naturally by Lisa Donnelly - I was originally going to end on It’s Only Time, but this song, with it’s message about “Life takes a lifetime” felt like the better ending, a realistic but hopeful look at a couple just starting their married life together.


End file.
